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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24419344">Be still my heart, this could be a brand new start</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frisian/pseuds/Frisian'>Frisian</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Identity Reveal, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:13:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,308</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24419344</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frisian/pseuds/Frisian</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Princess, it's okay if you don't feel the same way as I do... I can leave you alone for now, if that's what you want?” Internally, Chat hoped solitude was the last thing she would ask him for.</p><p>Marinette reached out to grab his hand, squeezing it. “You don't have to go,” she said. “Will you let me explain?”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>270</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Be still my heart, this could be a brand new start</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>My first fic, please be kind!</p><p>Thanks to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiniNoire">MiniNoire</a> and auX0rz, for helping me get started and bouncing ideas. And to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/sagansjagger">Cass</a> for being my Fic Mentor and helping me more than I can say to get the push I need to get this out there, and to drastically improve my writing/grammar :D</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I-I can't do this, Kitty.” Marinette sobbed quietly, covering her face with her hands as she slid down onto her chaise. It was an impossible choice, one she had been thinking about nonstop since he asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I knew this was coming, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Marinette thought, cringing slightly.</span>
  <em>
    <span> I knew he'd ask me, I just didn't think it would happen this soon.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Princess, it's okay if you don't feel the same way as I do...” Chat cleared his throat. “I will always be your friend, no matter what.” He turned away from her slowly, taking a step towards her loft to move to the skylight, “I can leave you alone for now, if that's what you want?” Internally, he hoped solitude was the last thing she would ask him for.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marinette reached out to grab his hand, squeezing it. “You don't have to go,” she said. “Will you let me explain?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chat turned back to her, crouching down beside the chaise, looking into her eyes. “I'm all ears Marinette... well, at least four.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marinette tried to hold in a laughing scoff. Even at inopportune times, she had come to love Chat's puns, not that she'd ever admit that fact to him. “I do love you, Chat, but as I've told you before, there is someone else...” She paused, taking a deep breath. “It wouldn't be fair to you if we started a relationship when he was still on my mind.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Chat is wonderful, and he's my partner, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Marinette thought, trying to reason with herself</span>
  <em>
    <span>. I would trust him with anything, but I can't just forget about Adrien. Sweet Adrien... when he smiles I just melt... ugh, stop it Marinette, you're talking to Chat, not Adrien!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chat watched as Marinette closed her eyes. In sadness, or in thought, he wasn't sure which. “Princess I...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cutting him off before he could continue, Marinette spoke up again. “Do you know what it's like to love two people at once…? It's killing me inside. I'm so sorry Chat... I really am.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know exactly how you feel, Princess. Or at least, I did at one point. I won't ask you to choose, but can I ask, what can he give you that I can't?” Chat asked, with a grim look on his face, his strikingly full green eyes aimed at the floor. “It might not be fair to ask... but I need to know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Did I really just ask that? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Chat thought, cringing slightly, as his thumb and forefinger softly pinched the bridge of his nose.</span>
  <em>
    <span> Am I an idiot? Why would I want to hear the girl I love talk about some other guy. Some guy that couldn't possibly be good enough for my Princess!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Standing up and walking away from him, unable to look at him, Marinette quietly spoke. “Nothing kitty, there isn't anything he can give me that you can't give, but I've loved Adrien ever since...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chat’s eyes resisted popping out of their sockets, his mind sorting through what Marinette just said and all that it meant. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s me she likes? Well… Adrien… me? Wait but, huh, she likes Adrien and Chat!? I must have heard wrong, but no, she did say Adrien, didn’t she?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Adrien?” Chat said. “Adrien Agreste?” Chat gagged suddenly. Had he been drinking, he would have created the most iconic slow-motion spit-take ever.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marinette was caught off guard by the sound. She turned to him, her eyes narrowing in anger, as he looked like he was trying to hold in a laugh. “Yes!” she shouted sharply. “What, you don't think he could love a normal girl like me? How could you act so cruelly, Chat Noir?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chat turned away from her, a giant grin suddenly plastered upon his face. “I would never think such a thing Princess. That ‘model,’” he put his fingers up and did air quotes as he said model, “would be a fool not to love you. In fact I would be shocked if he didn't already.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He's not just some model, Chat. I know people think models are all stuck up rich jerks, but he's not like that. Adrien is kind, sweet, smart; he'd do anything for his friends, he's just so...” Marinette stopped herself. “I'm sorry Chat, I shouldn't be going on like this to you, it's not fair.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steadying himself and wiping the grin off his face, Chat turned back to Marinette. “It's okay purr-incess.” His purr returned with the happiness that grew inside him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chat eyes were briefly full of excitement, before he had to quickly hide it</span>
  <em>
    <span>. She really does like me... and I thought she was just shy around me cause I intimidated her or something,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he rationalized.</span>
  <em>
    <span> How come she never told me? She could’ve told me and we could’ve been happy, in love, shouting it from rooftops… heck even from the top of the Eiffel Tower! Wait, no, Adrien couldn’t do that, but I definitely could’ve cuddled her, kissed her, gone on dates with her! I would've said something to her ages ago if I knew she also liked my civilian side! She likes both sides of me! I never thought I could ever hope for that.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can't fault you for loving someone,” Chat said, touching Marinette’s shoulder softly. “You know I loved Ladybug, until  you and I spent more and more time together. After I got to know you, my love for Ladybug transformed into that of the love of close friends.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marinette scoffed at him, “Pfft… transformed really? Always puns with you huh Kitty Cat?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chat broke into a grin, “A happy accident, puns just roll off my tongue after all.” Clearing his throat, he continued. ”It would be unfair for me to expect you to have been as understanding as you were and then not return the favor. But how can I, even as the handsomest hero in all of Paris ever compete with THE Adrien Agreste?” Chat grinned, flexing his muscles along with the word handsomest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marinette was beside herself. She didn't know if she should laugh, cry, or hit him. “Sometimes I just don't understand you, Chat. How can you be so serious one minute and then foolish the next?” Walking over and standing in front of him, Marinette put her hand to his cheek. “Yet somehow, you're still lovable.” She kissed his opposite cheek softly. “I'm sorry, Kitty, but right now, there is nothing you can say that would change my mind. I just can't do this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Chat thought, leaning into Marinette’s hand upon his cheek.</span>
  <em>
    <span> Maybe being my usual playful self wasn't my best plan here, I need to turn this around.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just five minutes,” he said, his hands moving to Marinette’s shoulders, grasping them tightly, his eyes pleading for her to listen. “Give me five minutes to talk it out Marinette.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marinette shook her head. “Not now, Kitty. I'm sorry, I need to think.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Two minutes,” Chat said, holding up two fingers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Chat...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chat lowered a finger, so only one remained up, his eyes pleading with Marinette. “Just one minute!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Chat, please, I think you should go...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chat slumped slightly. But he wasn’t defeated, as the wheels rapidly turned in his head. Suddenly his eyes lit up. He knew exactly what he had to do. “Okay,” he said. “How about just two words? Two simple words, Princess, and then if you want, I'll go.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marinette sighed, placing her hand to her face and shaking her head. Silence hung in the air. It felt like only a second or two to Marinette, but to Chat, it felt like an eternity. After taking a long, deep, exasperated breath before she faced him again, she rolled her eyes in a wildly exaggerated way and responded with a voice full of sarcasm. “Okay, Kitty, what are the two magical words that can help me solve something so complicated?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Claws in.”</span>
</p>
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